Spring certainly is in the air…and it’s all about flourishing. I have three exhibitions coming up over September and October.

Surfacing 27 September – 21 October 2018 Opening “Afternoon With The Artist”: 29 September 10-4 Sydney Road Gallery, Seaforth, Sydney
Catriona Pollard’s solo exhibition ‘Surfacing’ offers stunning works of sculptural basketry and assemblage works that explore the concept of layers of self and oneness by applying material and techniques to different surfaces. Catriona uses natural surroundings to inspire her and find that through the observation and interaction with nature she has developed works that allow colour, texture and organic form to surface. More information below.

Artisans In The Gardens 12 – 21 October 2018 Lions Gate Lodge Royal Botanical Gardens, Sydney
A celebration of the natural world, Artisans in the Gardens, now in its 18th year, brings together an extraordinary range of artwork. The exhibition showcases some of Australia’s best established and emerging artists and craftspeople with over 2,000 artworks including sculpture, ceramics, hand blown glass, jewellery, textiles, plus so much more. More information here.

Exhalation of the Trees 22 September – 2 December 2018 Mosman Gallery – InProfile Solo
As trees exhale, we inhale. Through the ethereal beauty and harmonised rawness of ‘Exhalation of the Trees’ I am asking the viewer to see; to notice. Transforming found organic material into sculptures creates moments for people to view the natural world around them in a different way.

Surfacing exhibition

Celebrated Sydney fibre artist Catriona Pollard’s fourth solo exhibition ‘surfacing’ offers stunning works of sculptural basketry and assemblage works that explore the concept of layers of self and oneness by applying material and techniques to organic surfaces.

Running from 27 September to 21 October 2018 at Sydney Road Gallery, the sculptures are made from foraged plant material, and through the observation and interaction with nature Ms Pollard has developed works for this exhibition that allow colour, texture and organic form to surface.

Ms Pollard uses the process of exploring nature to inspire her, and the work offers glimpses of shapeshifting natural forms, from unnoticed branches, leaves and seedpods into shapes that celebrate the abundance of nature.

“By placing ourselves in nature, removed from the constant interruptions of the digital life we now live, it allows an expansion of our creative expression and an uncovering of deeper layers of self. Through these sculptures, I’m giving the viewer an opportunity to experience this idea of oneness with nature,” said Ms Pollard.

“Highlighting a deep connection with the natural world, the sculptures offer up the idea that we should see nature as part of us rather than simply an object that has no meaning or spirit. And to see ourselves in harmony with the natural world around us.”

“My work transforms the inherent beauty of nature into moments that encourage reflection and connection. Nature plays an important part of helping us become fully aware of who we are. It inspires us to expand, but also forces us to confront whatever stands in way of that expansion; to see the layers of self,” said Ms Pollard.

Ms Pollard has exhibited extensively in selected and group exhibitions and has been shortlisted in many art awards and was recently finalist in the Northern Beaches Art Prize. She is currently Artist InProfile at the Mosman Art Gallery.

Her work highlights the link between raw foraged organic materials, like vines and seed pods, with earthy materials like base metals including copper, and natural elements like charcoal, clay and silk.

I was in Rome recently and it was 43 degrees with the asphalt melting underfoot, so I went to my favourite (airconditioned) gallery – The Borghese – to hang out with Bernini’s Apollo & Daphne marble sculpture.

Still not wanting to deal with the heat, I walked across the park to the La Galleria Nazionale – The Gallery of Modern and Contemporary Art. I found myself in this extraordinary gallery virtually on my own. It seems that everyone wants only traditional art when in Rome.

When I was at La Galleria Nazionale, I realised that we have a certain way of seeing art, or more specifically art is presented to us in a conventional way. I have never questioned that.

Seeing in a different way

Take for example marble sculptures. They are on a plinth so you look up at them. They are facing you, so often you can’t see the back or the whole work. There is a rope around them so you can’t get too close.

At La Galleria Nazionale, they mix old with new and I walked into a room with a stunning Dante sculpture of Diana. It was facing the wall, and wasn’t on a plinth or with a rope around it. It was extraordinary. I had a completely different experience with it.

It kind of blew my mind actually.

Unhooking from convention

It made me think about convention or specifically what would happen if we if we started to see objects, problems, things in our lives in different ways.

What would change if we unhooked ourselves from convention? What we think is…right, wrong, good, bad, predetermined, front, back…or “it’s just the way we do things”.

Often we only see what we want to see: visions that match our fixed beliefs and perspectives. I believe that anything that is defined in a limited way is open to transformation. When we lift that limitation, we have the opportunity to flourish in ways we never even imagined.

Opening yourself to change

When we dream a different reality, all its many dimensions flourish in a way so far removed from convention. We open the space toward what can be and will be more vibrant worlds to come.

So what in your life or business would benefit from flipping from front to back, or questioning the conventional approach? What would happen if you saw your life in different ways?

It doesn’t mean anything has to change. But my gosh…what if it did and it brought new wonderful experiences you never even dreamed of.

Tweetable: What would change if we unhooked ourselves from convention? @CatrionaPollard bit.ly/2x37Bmg

I caught up with Angharad Rixon from TextileStories and had a wonderful chat about how starting basketry had helped me find my hidden passion and creativity.

I spoke about how I use materials to tell my stories, how I find the material and then deciding what to make and bring my vision to life!

I share how organic sculptures offer an opportunity to reflect on our own interconnectedness with each other and the world which surrounds us, inviting us to see the beauty in ordinary objects and slow the pace of our daily lives.

My exhibition ‘I am of you’ at Sturt Gallery was inspired by how everyone is so interconnected but also so disconnected from the world around us, this concept is inspired by the belief that we are inextricably linked with everything around us, the trees, the soil, the water, and all living things.

I talk about how I teach the exploration of basketry and creativity, not just process, but how even while I may have a plan for my art, it can change at any moment, and I may not even realise that the piece is actually completed at all!

I spoke of my struggle with confidence before teaching my first basket weaving class, and how I had thought that because my pieces weren’t very traditional, I didn’t have enough traditional knowledge to teach. But little did I know, it’s not about the structure it’s about your creativity and finding your own way, and using the skills you may not even know you have to make amazing pieces of art.

New exhibition ‘I am of You’ challenges viewers to see and appreciate nature in a different light.

‘I am of You’ offers glimpses of shapeshifting natural forms, from unnoticed branches, leaves and seedpods into shapes that move you; that celebrate the abundance of nature and our place in this universe.

We are all interconnected – plants, air, people and animals. From the earth beneath our feet, through to the air above us and everything in between. This body of work explores that connection to all living things and the fluidity of energy between everything. It transforms the inherent beauty of nature into moments that encourage reflection and connection.

This body of work asks you to lift your gaze and see the earth. To recognise that we are not that much different, you and I. Our ancestry is so closely connected to the earth and the vines, leaves and plants that grow from it.

‘I am of You’ is a call for us to fall in love again with the natural world around us and see that we are bound by nature to claim its place in our heart.

I was interviewed by AAP this week asking if we can survive without technology. I said no. I want the traffic lights to work on my way home, and computer to work so I can write.

But having said that, I do think this time of year it’s worth having a check in about how we are feeling about digital overload. (And overload in general.)

I feel like I’ve had two years in one. Now I’m at the end of the year, I’ve notice that I’m posting less and less, having fewer online chats, and not going on a few apps I was on all the time. I’m also not doing big Christmas events, just catching up with people individually.

I’m craving low key, which is lucky as I’m about to spend a few weeks at one of the quietest places in Australia (my parent’s place up the coast), and I’m starting to think about how I can recalibrate the best.

Digital chill pill

At the moment I check my email first thing and last thing in the day – as I do the Facebook, Twitter and Instagram twirl. Like most professionals, I spend up to 10 hours a day online.

I really think it’s worth asking the question…would I find it difficult to not take my phone with me down to the beach, to grab a coffee, to go for a walk, to go to bed?

Over the holidays, it might be good to challenge ourselves to a digital detox. See what life is like off the grid.

Do nothing. Be bored.

Can you remember the last time you were bored? An amazing thing happens when you are not constantly stimulated. Your mind quietens down.

I don’t do bored very well, but when I am, I come up with the best ideas and new concepts. (I was told by one of my staff not to come back from holidays with the idea to write a new book or launch another business…which happens each time I have a low-key holiday. I couldn’t promise it!)

Chillax

I’ve found this awesome app called Insight Timer. There are thousands of free meditations and my favourite is Yoga Nidra which is a progressive muscle relaxation. It’s so relaxing.

What I’m most excited about over the holidays is to sit under my tree at the very end of the beach and just gaze at the water and listen to the waves. The jury is out if I can resist taking my phone with me!

I hope you have a wonderful time over holidays – with or without digital. See you in the New Year.

Tweetable: Get bored over the holidays @CatrionaPollard http://bit.ly/2oZnMlA

I’ve always been somewhat creative. Naturally, as an entrepreneur, I have a talent for out of the box thinking, and at different times in my life, I’ve dabbled in different creative pursuits, like photography, art, and design.

But if someone told me 15 years ago when I started my business the thing that would make the difference between failure and be building a sustainable, successful business was an art form that saw me playing with sticks and twigs and hosting a second solo exhibition this week; I seriously would have laughed. But that’s exactly what happened.

It was about six years ago where I was working flat out building my business. Like most entrepreneurs, running my business consumed me. I never really switched off, and I was starting to burn out from the intense pressure.

What’s more, my industry of public relations was (and still is) going through significant change. Dealing with the changing media landscape was like operating in quicksand, where I could be pulled under if I didn’t keep innovating.

Something had to change

I went through a process of reflection on what I wanted out of my business and my life, as the two were inextricably linked. I realised my ability to cope with change was being impaired; my creativity was being sapped. I needed to figure out a way to slow down and allow myself the space to problem solve and be innovative in responding to challenges.

I needed to find an outlet for my creativity that was tactile and not about perfection but more about exploration and play. I wanted to think in new ways and use creativity to gain new insights and perspectives.

Looking back now, I found an outlet that was opposite to my world as a business owner. I discovered the art of sculptural basketry – an art form that goes back to our primal roots and hasn’t changed for thousands of years. It was feminine, introverted, meditative and nature-based; compared to my entrepreneur life which was masculine, extroverted, technological and fast-paced.

A light was switched on

I began responding to change in new and unexpected ways. I wrote a book; I launched an online, productised side to my business. I started to work with my team in different ways so the business could leverage the collective strength of our ideas. The business became more stable, but more importantly, I felt more in control of where I wanted to take the business and what its purpose in my life was.

Through art, I was able to change how I saw things. It helped me to overcome business challenges and appreciate risk and potential in different ways.

Today my art is very much part of my identity

And my business is better for it. There are still challenges, things don’t always go to plan, but how I respond to these situations is heightened with creativity and innovation. Rather than feel inundated and paralysed, I see the opportunities that are only limited by my imagination and creativity.

So is there anything in your business and life that would benefit from a creative approach?

Tweetable: Creativity can transform your life and business @CatrionaPollard bit.ly/2y1upHZ

The synchronicity of now – new sculptural exhibition transforms common plant material into contemporary and inspired ‘moments’

Acclaimed Sydney fibre artist Catriona Pollard unveils her latest body of work in a solo exhibition titled 11:11 which showcases unique nature based sculptures exploring the synchronicity of now.

Running from 26 October to 12 November 2017 at Sydney Road Gallery, the beautifully constructed and stunning pieces made from foraged plant material represent the magic of simple moments that can be easily missed in our hectic lives.

Commenting on the exhibition, Catriona Pollard explains “As a master number, 11 symbolises the link between human and spirit; darkness and light; scarcity and abundance.”

“Have you ever looked at the clock and noticed the time to be exactly 11:11? For many people it represents a single moment in time that encourages us to pause and reflect even just for a moment, and to focus our attention on our desires rather than our fears.”

Ms Pollard’s work highlights the link between raw foraged organic materials, like vines and grasses, with earthy materials like base metals including copper, and natural elements like charcoal, clay and ash.

The exhibition features intricately woven pieces that transform the inherent beauty of nature into moments that encourage personal reflection and emotional connection.

In 11:11 Ms Pollard explores new techniques not seen before in sculptural weaving to create a collection that is visually interesting and sparks the imagination. For instance, Ms Pollard incorporated the technique of random weave with xanthorrhoea resin to weave a 2 metre high ‘cloak’ which represents the warmth of gratitude.

“All of the vine sculptures in the exhibition were the result of a chance meeting which lead to the opportunity to spend two days in a rainforest ‘dancing’ with vines. It’s moments in time that make up our lives, but more importantly, it’s being open to them.”

“Noticing 11:11 might be the only time that day that we stop and are present and understanding that we are part of something bigger. This body of work is a sculptural representation of noticing the extraordinary in every day moments.”

Ms Pollard’s work explores a deep connection with nature, highlighting the contrast with society’s current disconnection with it. “We are so digitally connected and high-speed now, often we miss the simplicity of moments in time that nature gifts us; noticing the wind, the bird flying by and the shadow of a leaf dancing in the breeze.”

Catriona Pollard has exhibited extensively in selected and group exhibitions and this her second solo. She has been shortlisted as Emerging Artist of the Year Craft NSW (2014, 2015), finalist Ravenswood Women’s Art Prize (2017), Northern Beaches Art Prize (2017), North Sydney Art Prize (2013-2015), Warringah Art Prize (2016), and Mosman Art Gallery 2088 (2011-2017).

For more information on Catriona Pollard work visit www.theartofweaving.com.au

Sydney Road gallery is a commercial art gallery that represents a group of artists and encourages and enjoys collaborating with creatives from many disciplines. Every person you speak to or meet at Sydney Road Gallery is an artist. https://sydneyroadgallery.com/

I’ve said it many times, we need to redefine the spotlight and understand we all deserve to be there and share our voice with the people that matter to us.

I experienced the beauty of this last Saturday. I had my sculpture exhibition opening and it was opened by my 6 year old nephew.

Most people would have had a local dignitary or well-known artist to open their exhibition. But no, not me.

My nephew was so excited about my exhibition – it just really struck a chord with him. He asked if he could do some paintings to be put up at the exhibition and talk about them at the opening.

Hell yes! The sweetest 6 year old-style paintings have their own section at the exhibition. And I love them.

The opening of the exhibition was an amazing opportunity for someone so young to share his voice and be in the spotlight of his choosing. And this spotlight moment was him standing on a chair in the middle of the gallery, with my arm around him and talking for 20 seconds to more than 60 people.

But do you know what? It was the best art exhibition opening I have ever been to. His little talk made everyone laugh and be filled with joy. It made them feel something (which coincidently is what my art asks of the viewer as well).

And then I said a few words, followed by some words from the photography artist, Karen Visser, I’m exhibiting with who has never done any public speaking before.

Leading up to the opening I asked her if she’d like to speak, she said no, “You’re the public speaker you can speak for both of us.”

But it was also her spotlight moment. It was her time to share her voice with so many of the people that matter to her. It was her time to talk about what she loves.

At the end of her talk she said, “Gosh, I hope that was OK, I’ve never publicly talked before” and then my nephew ran over, held my hand and said to the audience, “It’s the first time I have done public speaking too”. Which lead to much laughter and clapping. So much love.

No matter what your age, you belong in the spotlight and people want to hear what you have to say. I know this to be true.

PS. Come along and see my exhibition. Details here. Want to play and explore your creativity? Learn Sculptural Random Weave with me this Sunday, 28 May. Learn how to create something beautiful from found plant material just using your hands and imagination. Warringah Creative Space, Sunday, 28 May. Book here.

Tweetable: No matter what your age, you belong in the spotlight and people want to hear what you have to say @CatrionaPollard http://bit.ly/2qddLS9

Stunning video of my work and Karen Visser’s photography by Karen Visser and original music by Jerome Duval-Fleury.

Join me in exploring nature, weaving and creativity at the Sturt Winter School at Mittagong, 3-7 July 2017

Through the lens of nature, explore traditional basketry with a sculptural perspective. Through a series of creative exercises that will connect you with the natural world, you will uncover the secret life in natural materials.

This workshop is all about exploration and play not perfection. Starting with standing in nature we will explore ephemeral art techniques and you will learn how to connect with nature, your stories and your creativity.

You will then learn traditional basketry and weaving techniques including random weaving, twining and construction.

You will use a variety of foraged and harvested natural fibres to weave vessels and sculptural forms. These forms allow you to tell your stories in interesting ways, and help you tap into powerful creativity.

Learning at your own pace, in this hands on, practical workshop you will have the opportunity to experiment and explore basketry techniques with the opportunity to complete a series of sculptural forms.

We all have new growth ready to emerge, and this basketry workshop will help you reconnect with your imagination, nature and give you new insights and perspectives.

I’m a big believer in play and it’s certainly helped in creating more innovation, engagement and joy for me both personally and professionally.

For me, slowing down and playing more has been the key to my health and happiness. As children we play in an unstructured way, but as adults our play tends to be competitive and goal orientated. That really sucks, as unstructured play fuels your imagination, creativity, problem-solving abilities, and emotional well-being. Who doesn’t want that!

Here are four reasons why you should be slowing down and playing more:

1. Your stress levels go down

Play is fun and can trigger the release of endorphins. Having a hobby where you can sit down for a few hours and block out the constant noise of society can work wonders for your mental health and stress levels.

2. Stimulate your mind

Engaging in slow and creative activities has been proven to benefit the brain by working both hemispheres. We need to actively tap into logic and problem solving, but also the creative and imaginative side of our minds.

3. Work is more fun and innovative

Play at work encourages us to take more creative risks and think more innovatively. I know from personal experience that it increases energy and prevents burnout. It helps you see problems in new ways.

4. You form stronger connections with the world around us

Play helps with reconnecting to moments in time. We are so disconnected from nature in this digital world that we’re barely pay attention to what’s around us. Moments are missed because we are more concerned with the iPhone in our hand, than simple moments of joy.

Last Sunday I spent the morning finger painting with my nephew. That moment in time was so simple, joyful and colourful it was unforgettable. There was no construct around the perfect artwork… was all about play.

What are you going to do to create more play in your life and business?

Tweetable: Play isn’t just for kids. Exploring play benefits you and your business bit.ly/2dYT18G